dobson



UNITED raras tries.

armar HENRY C. DOBSON, 0F NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T() CATHARINE Il. DOBSON, OF SAME PLACE.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,321, dated November 8, 1881.

Application filed June 8, 188i.

other Similar or Analogous Musical Instru` ments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention involves several improvements applicable chiefly to banjos, but also in part to drums and other instruments. Y

In the drawings, I have shown a banjo provided with my improvements.

Figure lis a plan of the inner or under side, the handle being broken aw ay. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal mid-section thereof'. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section, taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section ot' the handle on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan of the tail-piece, and Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 on the lineA G G. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are on a scale double that of Figs. l and 2.

A is the handle; B, the ring or rim; C, the parchmenthead stretched thereon; D, the

u straining-ring; E E, the clamps or tightening screws for drawing down the ring D and straining the head; F F, the strings; G, the tailpiece, and H the bridge. All these parts are in the main ot' the ordinaryT construction and arrangement.

I is a metal ring, over which 4the head is stretched. It rests upon the ring B, is curved at its contact with the head, and has two downwardly-projecting tlanges, the outer one of which passes down outside the rin'g B, andthe inner one projects down inside the ring B, and is free from all parts ot' the instrument, so as to be capable of unrestrained vibration. It is set in vibration by the vibration otl the head, and its effect is to give a clear bell-like ringing tone to the instrument. The outer flange serves to retain the rings B and I in proper relative position land to impart additional strength.

Theclamps E each consist cfa h noked screwthreaded rod, a, engaged by a nut, b, which bears against a standard, c. As heretofore constructed the hooked ends ofthe rods a have been liable to contact with and cut or abrade the head when the ring D was drawn low down, asis necessary in the course of time, on account (No model.)

of the stretching of the head. To avoid this I-cut out the inner and upper corner, or edge ofthe ring D, and make the hooked ends to rest in the rabbet 'thus formed, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. 'Ihe standard c has a screw which passes through the ring B and receives a nut, d, by which the standard is secured rmly t0 the ring. The nut d is a covered or hooded nut, so that itincloses the end of the screw and prevents it from cutting the clothing of the player, and both the nuts d and b arejrounded and smoothed for the same purpose.

llhe ring B is made 'of vtwo parts, an inside wooden hoop, c, and an outside metal band or ring,f, both edges of the latter being wired, and the wired portions turned inward, so as to embrace the wooden hoop and secure the two together. The ring I rests against the upper wired edge ofthe metal. The handle A passes through the riug B at one side, extends across to the opposite side, as usual, and its end is sunk into a socket or mortise in the hoop e, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The handle ot' a banjo is commonly extended over the head for a short distance, forming a continuation of the nger-board for use in sounding high notes. This extension has heretofore been in the way when it has been nec essary to renew the head, since it prevented the lifting oft'ot1 the ring D, so that to renew the head it was necessary to first take out the handle. To obviate this inconvenienceIform this. extended or overhanging portion'ot the finger-hoard in a separate piece from the handle, and tasten it to the handle by-scre ws, as clearly shown at Jin Figs. 2 and LI. I form it preferably ot' sheet metal with turned down anges g g, which embrace the wood ofthe handle, and through which screws are driven into the handle. When it becomes necessary to renew the head these screws are first withdrawn and the piece J is detached from the handle.

The tail-piece Gv is of inet-al with a strip of wood, 7L, confined in its string end. The metal is bent around this strip in such manner as to hold it securely in' place, as best shown in Fig. 6, and the string-holes are formed through both wood and metal. Thus the strings bear against wood instead of metal, as heretofore, which is liable to cut and injure them. The tal-piece is bent downward at yi and again horizontally at j, and the portion j is engaged by a screw, 7c, by which the tail-piece may be adjusted up or down. The pull ofthe strings does noteome against the screw k, as heretofore, but the vertical portion t'bears agaiustthe ring D, which thus receives the strain. The screw 7a passes through a standard, c, and is tightened by a nut, l), thereagainst. 'Io prevent the turning ot' the screw 7c when the nut is turned, the neck ofthe screw is iiattened on one side where it passes through the tail-piece, and the hole in the latter is made with a flat side to engage this portion, as shown in Fig. 5. The standard c forms the head of a screw, l, which passes through the ring B and screws into the head of the handle A, as shown in Fig. 2.

Theimprovements relating to t-he parchment head are equally applicable to drums, and those to the stringing may be also applicable to other stringed instruments.

I claim as my inventionl. In a banjo or other parchment-head instrument, the metal ring I, having the parchment head stretched over it, its outer portion resting ou the ring B, and its inner edge or portion being arranged out of contact with the head, so as to be left free to vibrate independently thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. In a banjo or other parchment-head in'- Strument, the metal ring I, having the parchment head stretched over it, its outer portion resting on the ring B, and its inner portion `being turned downwardly to form a iiange,

substantially as shown and described.

3. In a banjo or analogous instrument, the combination of ring B, convex metal ring I, having a flange which tits over and embraces the ring B, and the parchment head C strained over the ring I,with suitable means i'or straining it, substantially as set forth.

4.-. The straining-ring D for a banjo or similar instrument, having a rabbet formed in its upperinner edge for the reception ofthe hooked portions ofthe straining-rods@ substantially as set forth.

5. The ring B for a banjo, consisting of a wooden hoop, e, surrounded by a sheet-metal band,f, having both edges wired against the wooden hoop, whereby the latter is conned in place within the meta-1 band.

G. rIhe handle A of abanjo, provided with a continuation of the finger-board extending over the parchment head and detachable at will from the handle, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of handle A and sheetmetal tinger-board extension-piece C, having turned-down ears or flanges g g for attachment to the handle.

S. The tail-piece G,'t'ormed ot' sheet metal, and its string end bent around and confining a wooden strip, h, through which the strings pass, substantially as set forth.

9. The tail-piece G, bent downwardly at i and horizontally atj, in combination with the ring D or other part againstwhich the portion 'i may abut, and with an adjusting'screw, k, engaging the portion j, substantially as set forth.

10. rlhe end ot' the handle A, mortised into the ring B, in combination with ascrew, l, passing through the ringand engaging said handle, and its head forming'a standard,c, for engagement with the adjustingscrew k for the tailpiece, substantially as set forth.

11. rlhe combination ot' the tail piece Ur, formed with a hole through its portion j, which hole has one straight side, with the screw lr, arranged to pass through said hole, and having its neck thereiniiattened on one side to t the saine and with the standard c and nut b, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY t). DOBSUN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR C. FRASER, WILLIAM D. LAMBRAY. 

